Pocket lighter and the like



May 6, 1930. B. BATTEY 1,757,231

POCKET LIGHTER AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 9, 1927 'INVENTOR By Attorneys,

Mig

Patented May 6, 1930 PATENT oFFlcr.

SUHTEB B.y BATTEY, OF NEW YORK, vN'. Y.

l' POCKET LIGHTER .AND TFE LIKE Application lcd August 9, 1987. Serial No. 211,656.`

This invention relates to lighting devices adapted to take the place of matches, and particularly to lighters utilizing liquid fuel and in which a catalytic agent is employed for self-ignition of a vaporizable, combustible liquid, such as alcohol, although it will be understood that certain features of the invention are applicable to lighters, of other well-known types.

It is an object of this invention to produce a self-ignited flame by means of a portable, inexpensive and elicient device which may be manually operated with convenience and dispatch, and in which a high degree of safety is obtainable.

According to the invention, means are pro vided for forcing a mixture of combustible liquid and air or vapor through a suitable conduit into the interior of a burner casing, which casing encloses the catalytic agent.

A further object of the invention is to prof vide a cover for the burner which is operatively connected to a valve controlling the flow of fluid from the fluid reservoir.

Another important feature of this invention resides in the provision of separated liquid and air or vapor ducts Within the fluid reservoir, disposed in such manner that when the opening of one of said ducts is immersed in the liquid fuel, the other will be above the level of the liquid, so that when pressure is generated to force the fuel from the reservoir into the burner, both liquid and vapor will be transferred to the burner, the ducts being preferably connected in such manner that the liquid and vapor will be mixed together before being ejected into the burner casing. One advantage of this arrangement is that the stream vof liquid fuel will be broken up or atomized so that it is distributed more uniformly throughout the burner casing; a second advantage is that a certain quantity ..-.of combustible vapor is delivered liquid fuel; and a third important advanta e resides in the fact that the actual volume..

.to the burner along with the particles of` Since ordinarilyv one or the other of the ducts in the reservoir will always be open to the vapor which lies above the li uid, an automatic pressure relief is provi ed, the vapor flowin freely to the burner throughsuch duct, t us preventin the building up of excessive vpressure whic would eject more than the required amount of fuel. This construction also practicall prevents the undesirable ejection of liquid fuel which heretofore has v been occasioned by the gradual expansion of the vapor within the reservoir due to accidental heating which may be caused by radiation of heat from the burner itself or heat which is transmitted directly to the reservoir by the hand of the user. It has been found, where only a single duct is provided from the reservoir to the burner, that if this duct communicates with the liquid fuel, a very4 slight application of heat to the reservoir will cause a continuous ejection of fuel which will often flood the burner and renders the operation of the device decidedly hazardous. With the double duct arrangement according to the present invention, the gradual expansion of the va or Within the reservoir due to heating, e ects no ejection of liquid fuel whatever, because the duct which is above the level of the liquid permits the escape of pressure at a suiciently rapid rate. It is only when a comparatively sudden' pressure is applied by manual operation of a pressure generating or pumping element that liquid fuel can be ejected into the burner.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, in which reference is had,to the accompanying drawings wherein, Y

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pocket lighter according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical crosssec tion of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-section taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the frame which supports the catalytic agent and ignitg filaments of the lighter illustrated in the preceding figures.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same device shown invFigs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

pose the safety conduit above the fuel level and also shows the cover in as a wind guard.,

Referring to the embodiment illustrated 1n position to act Figs-1 to 4 inclusive; A refers generally to the burner into which the fluid is ejected and i 'ted in any suitable manner. B designates tgl fuel reservoir, and in the construction illustrated is provided with walls or wall portions which are suicientl flexible to permit of their being manually epressed to diminish the volume of the reservoir and thereby generate a pressure-to force luidinto the burner. If desired, the reservoir, which is preferabl made of sheet metal, may be surrounded b a sheath c of leather or other ornamentalrmaterial. The burner is secured to the reservoir in any suitable way to provide a fluid-tight connection and also to afford the necessary mechanical strength so that if the lighter is dropped the burner will not become detached from the reservoir.

As'shown in Fig. 2, the left-hand end of the burner casing provides a solid head in which is formed vertical ducts 1 and 2, which, at their upper ends communicate with a horizontal bore 3 leading into the combustion chamber 4 of the burner. At a point to the right of vertical duct 2 arotary valve 5 is provided to control the How of fluid into the 'combustion chamber. When this valve4 is closed neither liquid nor vapor canv escape from the reservoir. Valve 5 is controlled by an operating arm 6 which may conveniently constitute an integral part of the valve, the valve and arm being formed out of a length of round wire or small rod. The valve member fits closely within a transverse horizontal bore which intersects the longitudinal'bore 3, the valve bore extending from the right-hand side of the burner casing, as shown in Fig. 3, and passing beyond the longitudinal bore 3 a sufficient distance to provide a suitable bearing for the left-hand end of the valve member but terminating short of the left side of the burner casing, thereby eliminating the possibility of leakage around the valve toward' the left. The valve member should lit as closely as possible Within the bore to prevent leakage toward the right where the valve projects through the burner casing, while permitting easy manual operation of the valve.

The combustion chamber 4 is preferably 4cylindrical -in form and has an elongated opening 8 at the top which is preferably somewhat pear-shaped, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. 'This form of opening has been found to result in a very satisfactory combustion of fuel, such as alcohol or its derivatives, with#y out the luse of any sort of wick, and also accelcrates the self-igniting action of the filaments 10 and catalytic elements 11 carried by the filaments.

To close the pear-shapedk burner opening 8 and also to protect the filaments against' damage when the lighter is not in use, a swinging cover 12 is provided. This cover is hinged to the burner at 13, as shown in Fig. 2. The cover is retained in the closed position by springing over a small protrusion 14 formed at the side of the burner casing, as shown in Fig. 3. At a point above the valve lever or arm 6 and. somewhat to the right of the rotatable valve member 5, an ear 15 is formed u on the cover 12, the ear being so positione that when valve lever 6 is raised to open. the valve the cover l2 will be moved upwardly a sulicient distance to throw the cover depression 16 (Fig. 6) which co-operates with projection 14 to retain the cover in its closed position out of engagement with said projection. lhe cover is then thrown upwardly by any suitable resilient means to the open position indicated in Fig. 2. The necessary spring action for raising the cover may be provided in the cover itself by constructing it so that itsnatural curvature results in a tendency of the cover edges to close in upon the upper cylindrical surface of the burner. If the cover be formed of suitably elastic material the sudden drawing together of the edges of the cover as they passupwardly over the smooth cylindrical surface of the burner will exert a sufficiently powerful upward thrust to throw the cover into the full open position. By this construction the necessity for any additional springelement is eliminated, thereby simplifying the construction.

It will be observed that the co-operative relationship between the burner cover and the valve lever above set forth has the result that it is impossible to deliver fuel to the burner after the cover has been closed, because in closing the cover the valve lever 6 is automatically thrown downward to the position which closes the valve. This arrange ment has the additional advantage that the cover is automatically released and flies into the open position upon the simple manual actuation of the valve lever. The lighter is instantly made ready for operation by simply y raising the valve lever, which in turn opens the burner cover. After the lighter has been used it is simply necessary to press the cover 12 down upon the burner casing. In the downward movement of the cover the ear 15 engages the valve lever 6 and swings the lever downwardly, thereby closing the fuel valve 5, the cover. locking itself in closed position by snapping over the projection 14 on `the burner casing. j y l The igniter may be of any known type suit` able for igniting any kind of fluid fuel, but in" the preferred construction this i 'ter comprises a :frame 2Q which supports aments 10 of platinum or other suitable material, and these filaments carry small slugs or balls 11 of a catalytic agent, which, in the presence of alcohol vapor, spontaneously generate sufficient heat to ignite the vapor, thisprinciple of ignition being well-known to those skilled in the art. A feature of the present invention relates to the method of holding the frame which supports the igniter filaments, in proper position relative to the burner. It will be seen in Fig. i that a continuous support for the filaments is provided by the longitudinal frame members 21, 22, these members being formed of wire or other material having sufficient strength to provide a sub-V stantially xed mounting for the filaments. The longitudinal member 23, While being connected at one end to the frame members 21 and 22, is unsupported at the opposite end. 'lfhis member is suliciently resilient so that if originally positioned with its free end at a' distance from member 22 greater than the inside diameter of the combustion chamber within which it is placed, its tendency to expand against the wall of such chamber will provide a friction grip thereagainst which will hold the frame in the desired position within the chamber; rlhe igniter frame is inserted within the burner, as shown in Fig. 2, should the igniter become damaged it is very easily replaced because it is held in position only by the resilient grip of said member 23.

rlhe lighter is filled through a filler cap 25 which is screwed into one end of the reservoir B, a washer 26 being provided between the head of the cap and the body of the reservoir to prevent leakage. The end of the reservoir is preferably lianged inwardly, as

shown at 27, to provide a suitable surface' which may be threaded to receive the filler cap. This inwardly turned ange also prevents the complete filling of the reservoir with liquid fuel, as will be readily understood, thereby insuring that one or the other of the conduits extending into the reservoirl will `proiect beyond the surface of the fluid, as will hereinafter be more particularly set forth.

A feature of the invention which is of great importance is the provision of small pipes or conduits 30, 31 extending respectively from ducts 1 and 2 to diderent parts of the reservoir B. The preferred arrangement of these conduits is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It will be clear that with the conduits positioned as shown, unless the reservoir is completely filled with fuel (which in the preferred construction is impossiblev due to the `inward extension of the filler tube), one or the other of the conduits will be above the surface of the liquid if the lighter is held anywhere near its normal upright position.' If the left-hand end of the lighter, as shown in Fig. 2, is inclineddownwardly as will normally be the case when the lighter is held in the hand, the

end of conduit 30 will be above the level ofA the liquid fuel. If the lighter should be ininclined in the opposite direction, the end of conduit 31 would be above the fuel level. ln either case, when the sides of the reservoir are squeezed together to eject fluid into ythe combustion chamber, a vent will be provided above the level of the liquid fuel so that there will be ejected a mixture .of fuel and the vapor which lies above the fuel. lighter will work regardless of which end is inclined downwardly, it is preferable to ineline the left-hand end downward, as this results in the delivery of liquid fuel through the duct 2 in advance of the )etof vapor which passes through duct 1. The vapor, in blowing through the horizontal bore 3, passes the While the fuel which rises in duct 2 and serves `lto atomize it carrying the fuel into the combustion cham er in the form of a spray. lf the lighter is inclined so that the li uid fuel rises through duct 1,vapor will be ejectedthrough duct 2 and a mixture of the liquid fuel and vapor will be forced into the combustion chamber, but the desirable atomizing eEect is not so pronounced. `The disposition of the ends of conduits 30, 31 on opposite sides of thereservoir, as shown in Fig. 3, has the advantage of insuring that the end of one of the conduits will be above the surface of the liquidfuel should the lighter be inclined to one side or the other, as would be the case if the lighter were laid Hat upon a table. As herein efore set forth, it is advantageous to always have the opening of one of the conduits above the fuel level because if the vapor within the reservoir is expanded by heat, a vent will be provided whereby the pressure will be relieved without ejecting any liquid fuel into the combustion chamber, other than the small quantity which may be retained within conduit 30.

In Fig. 6 there is illustrated a modified form of pocket lighter according to the present invention. The construction there illustrated embodies the features of the previously described device but utilizes certain of the elements thereof in a somewhat ,different manner. Instead of a rotary valvel for controlling the flow of fluid from the reservoir B to the burner A, a conical plunger valve 35 is employed. This valve in the closed position shown in Fig. 6 fits snugly against a. conical valve seat 36, being held in this position by the pressure of the swinging cover 36 which bears against valve stem `38. The cover is held in closed position by a pivoted latch member 39 which engages a shoulder40 formed centrally at the left-hand en d of the cover. The latch member 39 is normally held in locking position by a leaf spring 41 disposed to the left in the recess 42 which houses the lower part of the latch member. The upper surface of the latch member is preferably knurled or'roughened to provide a more effective grip, the lever being swung to the left byk a slight movement of the thumb which falls naturally into a osition near the latch when the latter is hel inthe right hand. `The upper surface of the latch nose is inclined at 43 so that when the cover 37 is pressed downwardly the latch will automatically ride over the shoulder on the cover and snap into locking (position. A small coiled spring 45 surroun ing the hinge pin 46 by which the cover 37 is attached to the burner casing, serves to throw the hinged cover u wardly into the open position, a1thoughth1s is not necessary, as will hereinafter be set forth.

In a bore below the conical valve 35 a coil spring 51 is mounted, the action of this spring tending to throw the valve upwardly to its open position. When` the burner cover 37 is released, spring 51 will throw the valve upwardly and the valve stem A38 will impart a suliciently rapid movement to cover 37 so that the cover will be carried to its open position, and this action may be relied upon to the exclusion of spring 45 above referred to,

'if desired, the only disadvantage of the arrangement being that the cover may accidentally fall to the closed position, in which event it would either have to be snapped shut before the action of spring 51 would be available to open it, or else lifted up by hand. Valve 35 and valve springl51 are accessible through a bore 52 immediately above and coy axial with the valve seat. At the upper end of bore 52 a screw plug is inserted, the plug having a central opening through which the valve stem passes. Should the valve or valve spring become damaged, either may be readily replaced, and furthermore, the removal ofthe valve gives access to the fluid and vapor ducts communicating therewith, so that should a stoppage occur in any of these ducts it can be readily cleared by `running a cleaning wire through the valve bore 52.

It will be observed that the arrangement of valve 35 provides a co-operative relationship between the burner cover 37 and the valve, which affords the same safety feature as that provided by the construction previously described. In either case it is im ossible toclose the burner cover without c osing the valve, thereby insuring that fluid will not enter the burner when the lighter is not 1n use.

. The two conduits 60, 61 correspond to the A A'5% conduits 30, 31 previously described and serve substantially the same purpose.

The operation of the devices hereinbefore described has been made clear in connectlon with the detailed description thereof. lhe very simple operation may be summarized as follows:

In the device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive the fluid reservoir is `first filled. The inward projection of the end of the reservoir where the filler cap is inserted insures the presence of a.l certain volume of air or vapor cover 12, which flies open and also opens V valve 5, so that when the sides of the reservoir are squeezed betweenv the thumb and fingers a mixture of liquid fuel and vapor will be ejected from the reservoir into the combustion chamber. The i iter then automatically lights-the combustlble vapor within the burner, the liquid particles also readily vaporizin and burnin for a considerable period. hould more uel be required, the reservoir may be squeezed a in without stopping the operation of the ligtlllter. To extinguish the llame the cover Y12 is swung downwardly. This closes the burner o emng and simultaneously closes valve 5, so tliat no fuel can thereafter pass from the reservoir to the combustion chamber. If it is desired to use the lighter when a strong windis blowing, the cover 12 can be swung downwardly so that the combustion chamber is shielded from the wind. f If the li hter is then turned-so that the hinged end of t e cover is toward the oncoming wind, a draft will be created within the combustion chamber which will cause a flame to appear at the opposite end ofthe cover. The combustion chamber is so well shielded in this manner that a very strong wind will not extinguish the flame, but if anything, improve the combustion. It will be understood that unless the cover 12 is completely closed there will be a certain separation between -the cover and the burner casing at the hingeend through which the wind can blow to produce a slight draft.

The operation of the device shown in Fig. 6 is substantially the same except that instead of pushing upward upon a valve lever, the latch 39 is moved to the left; the cover 37 then flies open and valve 35 is carried to the open posit1onby the action of spring 51. To extinguish the lighter the cover is snapped shut, this automatically closing .the valve, as hereinbefore set forth.

While only two devices accordin to the present invention have been describe and illustrated, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherto said burner, and manually-operable means adapted upon one movement to shut off communication between both said conduits and the burner, and upon another movement to reestablish such communication.

2. In a pocket lighter or the like, a burner, a fuel reservoir, conduits communicating in one direction with said burner and in the other direction with different parts of the reservoir whereby when pressure is applied, liquid fuel will be delivered to the burner through one of said conduits while vapor is simultaneously delivered through the other.

3. In a pocket lighter or the like, a burner, a fuel reservoir, a conduit connecting the burner with the liquid fuel in the reservoir, a second conduit connected to said'irst mentioned conduit and communicating with the interior of said reservoir at a point above the fuel level, and pressure-generating means associated with said reservoir and adapted to deliver to the burner a mixture of liquid fuel and fuel vapor.

4. In a pocket lighter or the like, a burner, a reservoir for liquid fuel, means for generating fluid pressure within said reservoir, and atomizing means for delivering a mixture of liquid fuel and vapor to said burner, said atomizing means comprising two connected conduits which have access to the interior of the reservoir at different points and which are disposed so as to serve interchangeably and selectively as liquid and gas conduits `communicating with the interior of said reservoir at points below and above the liquid fuel level respectively, depending upon whether the reservoir is inclined to one side or the other of the normal upright posture of the lighter.

5. In a pocket lighter or the like, a closed reservoir for liquid fuel, a burner, an igniter within said burner, a hinged cover to close the burner opening whereby to quench the lighter flame, a valve `controlling the flow of fluid from said reservoir to said burner, and means adapted to insure the closing of said valve when said cover is closed.

6. In a pocket lighter or thelike, a closed reservoir for liquid fuel, a burner, an igniter Within saidburner, said igniter comprising metallic filaments and a catalytic agent which in the presence of the fuel vapor generate sufficient heat to ignite the fuel, a movable cover for said burner, a Valve controlling the flow of fluid from'said reservoir to said burner, a mechanical connection between said valve and said cover adapted to prevent the opening of the valve when said cover is closed, and manually operablemeans for ejecting fuel from said reservoir into said burner.

7. In a pocket lighter or the like, a burner, a closed fuel reservoir, a liquid fuel conduit between said reservoir and said burner, and a pressure relief conduit connecting the space above the liquid fuel in said reservoir with the said fuel conduit at an intermediate between the reservoir and the interior o said burner, and valve means commonly controlling both of said conduits.

8. In a pocket lighter or the like, a burner, a closed fuel reservoir, a fuel conduit between said reservoir and said burner, a cover for said burner, a valve in said fuel conduit, and means operatively connecting said valve with said cover whereby when the burner cover is closed the valve will be closed.

9. In a pocket lighter or the like, 'a burner, a closed fuel reservoir, a fuel conduit between said reservoir and said burner, a hinged cover for said burner adapted to extinguish the lighter flame, resilient means to open said cover, a valve adapted to control the flow of fuel from said reservoir to said burner, and means operatively connecting said cover with the said valve. y

10. A pocket lighter according to claim 9 and restraining means tovhold said cover in the closed position when the lighter is not in use.

11. In a pocket lighter or the like, a burner, a fuel reservoir connected therewith, conduits communicating with said burner and having access to the interior of the reservoir at points which are separated transversely with respect to the normal vertical axis of the reservoir and disposed toward the normally upward part of said reservoir in such manner that an inclination of the reservoir away from its upright position will, depending upon the direction of inclination, selectively cause the reservoir opening of one or the other of said Vconduits to be immersed in the vliquid fuel 'contained therein, providing the reservoir is partially filled with liquid fuel, the other conduit at such time being positioned above the fuel level.

12. In a pocket lighter, a reservoir for liquid fuel, a burner attached thereto, conduits communicating with said burner and having access to said reservoir at separated points so disposed as to permit one or the other of said conduits to be selectively immersed in the liquid fuel by tilting the reservoir in onedirection or another from its normal upright position, a filler tube, and a closure therefor, said tube extending into the interior of said reservoir in such manner as to trap a certain amount of air between said tube and the walls of the reservoir when fuel is poured through said tube, whereby to insure the presence of a predetermined quantity of air within the reservoir even when the tube has been filled to overflowing.

In ywitness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

SUMTER B. BATTEY.

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